Solar panels fitted to homes have been criticised for potentially harming property values and saving residents less than 1p a year on their electricity.

Last year, the council fitted 20 panels on buildings in the Elthorne Estate, off Elthorne Road, Archway, to help generate power for communal areas.

The scheme is also designed to reduce bills by selling the electricity generated back to the national grid, known as a feed-in tariff. However external contractors have stumped up the cash for the panels on the condition that they keep the lion’s share of the money the national grid pay for the electricity.

The council refused to reveal the exact details of the deal, but figures shown to the Gazette suggests it saves around £140 per panel per year. With 20 panels fitted under this deal, this means a saving of £2,800, less than 1p a year for each of the 30,000 tenants and leaseholders.

Many residents are angry that their property value is potentially being compromised.

Brian Potter, chairman of Islington Leaseholder Associations, said: “I have had quite a few calls about this, people are very worried.

“They are being misled. There is not going to be an appreciable reduction in fuel bills for the average tenant or leaseholder. All the scheme is doing is making the contractors a load of money.

“Of course people are scared their property value will go down, because their roofs have basically been sold to a contractor for 25 years. It’s crazy.

“There was no consultation on this either – the council has done it because it’s green and sounds good and all the rest of it. But we are building a lot of problems in the future. I just hope they don’t extend the scheme all over the borough.”

QUICK UPDATE ON THE PETITION: Although the Council’s website only notes 1,655 signatures we have collected a further 600+ paper forms (and counting) which takes out total to date to approximately 2,400. The petition continues to grow and will be presented to the Council in November before the Council Executive make their decision on the future management of our homes.

IMPORTANT AND URGENT:

This coming Saturday 1st October, there is an Islington Residents Convention at the Assembly Hall (Islington Town Halls, Upper Street, N1) from 10am – 2pm (light lunch provided). Attendees will be given an opportunity to express their views (we are told) on the future management of our homes. Registration for the event is required: If you can attend, please sent an email confirming your attendance to:

It reports that The petition says: ‘Councils across the country are winding up organisations like HFI, recognising that they do not represent best value for public money, and bringing management of council housing back under direct council control.

‘We need genuine accountability instead of token box-ticking exercises to retain HFI, an organisation which does not have residents’ interests at heart.’